So far, so middle market. But what happened next was an abject lesson for the Express – and Paula – in how things have changed for journalists who will do anything for a ‘story’.

Of course, “theblogosphere erupted” as some newspapers reported (as if this was some fringe). That included comedy writer Graham Linehan, who wrote a wonderful post urging readers to take action:

“Clearly aware of the legal guidelines in place to protect those under eighteen against invasion of privacy (and the specific instructions that the Press Complaints Commission issued regarding the Dunblane children), she waited until they hit eighteen. Then she wrote this.”

It’s largely self-congratulatory: “It is 81 years since the first edition of this great newspaper rolled off the presses in Glasgow,” is the first line. The last is: “The Scottish Sunday Express is a big newspaper, with a long and illustrious history. We are also big enough to say we are truly sorry.”

Big enough to say sorry, but not big enough to allow people to comment on the apology. The door is closed. Talk to the hand.

Big enough to say sorry, but not big enough to realise that the balance of power has shifted. Your readers are your distributors. Piss them off, and you have a distribution problem.

If I was a senior staffer on the Scottish Sunday Express I’d see this as a distribution opportunity. I would open comments on the apology and respond to them myself. I might even give Paula Murray some quick training in online communication and point out that she would do well to engage herself.

I would use the apology to link to the Facebook group and online petition to show that we were aware of them. I would also visit that Facebook group and apologise there.

I would visit as many forums and blogs as I can and apologise again.

And I would follow up and address responses to my apology that raise reasonable points I can respond to.

I would not entrust this to a PR company or marketing department, or to a junior member of staff. Because this is about distribution – and you wouldn’t entrust a negotiation with TNT to a PR person would you?

But one of the questions is – if this is now so huge and it’s all over the internet and it’s even got a whole load of celebriting endorsements – then why are traditional media almost entirely ignoring it?

Because it’s the US against THEM thing. Papers for all their lip service to blogs really do hate bloggers.

News, to them, is made by newspapers – it may feature the lives of the man and woman on the street but largely as victims – not as on the ones who are literally making the news.

And surprisingly considering their relatively impressive online reputation – the Guardian is one of the worst.

I realise that, but I was just interested that Linehan pulled back from promoting the only lever likely to do anything. Shaming or press complaints comission are not going to do anything are they? Online petitions don’t work. Not at 10 000, probably not even at 100 000. There’s no discipline of the journo. A mealy mouthed apology. Only one thing will puncture rhino hides like that. Money leaving the building.

That really was a low act. Not only had those survivors gone through such an ordeal earlier in their life, but to then have their privacy breached by some snoopy journalist willing to do anything for a story! At least now with the power of feedback through the internet people can express their rage at things like this through blogs and facebook groups, etc.